Columns

Sometimes in politics, the most effective maneuver is to do nothing. Especially when your adversary is making a huge mistake.

Republican lawmakers in Richmond are desperately trying to make hay of Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s decision to restore the civil rights of 200,000 ex-convicts who have served their time and completed all requirements for supervised release, probation or parole.

For many families, Memorial Day is a most sacred time to remember their family members who served in the Armed Forces and sacrificed all that they had, to preserve the freedoms that we enjoy today.

Many thousands fell on the battlefields around the world, some never to return home and some that are still missing after many years. Still many more returned home and lived out their lives in their communities for which they fought unselfishly.

Recent news stories in the area concerning pit bull attacks have reawakened the tireless debate about whether the dog breed is a safe choice for a pet. Some believe that the fault of a pit bull attack rests on the shoulders of a neglectful or careless owner; while others believe that the breed has a predisposition to violence and that an attack is inevitable.

Skepticism about science is a troubling phenomenon in our modern social and political life. With all of the benefits that science has provided us, it seems inconceivable that we distrust the work of reputable scientists, but many ordinary people and some of those who would be our leaders evince deep suspicion about science.

In recent years we have had continuing debates about creationism versus evolution, the safety of vaccines, and most vociferously in this election year about climate change.

It’s easy to understand why this year’s presidential election is a hot topic. Not only will the choices made this November severely impact the fate of our country for the next four years, I think all of us agree that we have some pretty extreme potentials on the ballot for the Oval Office seat.

A new two-year state budget emerged Feb. 21. Tinkering and negotiating remain before legislators depart Richmond, but the all-important spending document creates a favorable first impression.

For starters, Virginia’s lawmakers appear at last to have abandoned the clap-trap about percentage budget growth versus per capita whatever. Virginia’s public finances ought to track its ambitions, not its annually adjusted demographics. This is work for doers, not clerks.

Last year, the Grayson County school system made headlines as it fought through a budget crisis and shifts in school administration. Concerned parent groups rallied in front of the school board office and crowded every meeting as the board discussed holes in the budget, cutting programs to spread the money out further, the loss of teaching positions, and how to pay the remainder of the bills and teacher salaries.

This year, the school is making headlines again, but for a very different reason.